Hey, folks! I'm finally back with something new. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it. I've always found it more fun to get inside the heads of teenage Japril more than adult Japril. This one shot is inspired by an AU gifset I made for tumblr :)
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: don't own Grey's or its characters
Three days without any parent supervision is most teenagers' dream come true. Seniors from the Seattle Grace Academy boarded buses for their weekend ski trip two hours outside of the city. A lot of them had been looking forward to the trip since their freshman year. It was a senior tradition that allowed them a certain freedom they couldn't have at home. Despite the few chaperones who were members of the school's faculty, the students preferred them over their strict, overbearing and hovering parents telling them what to do during their short vacation.
For Jackson Avery, he had the trip circled on his calendar for a variety of reasons. He was an avid snowboarder who was itching to tackle the most difficult slopes at the resort. Being away from home meant he could enjoy three days without his meddling mother trying to control his every move. And last but not least, the beautiful redhead sitting close to the front of the bus with her friends made the whole trip worthwhile.
April Kepner wasn't just any girl in the senior class. She was Jackson's girlfriend. And in one day, they would be celebrating their 2-year anniversary as a couple. He constantly felt fortunate to have her in his life. In their freshman year, he had no idea who she was. He didn't even know she existed because they didn't have a single class together. That changed the following year when she sat behind him in their French II class. Jackson was smitten from the moment he had laid eyes on her and all he had done that day was ask her for an extra pencil. Plus, she made speaking French sound incredibly sexy to him.
She hadn't been the most sought out girl in their class, but he was thankful for that. He, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Jackson became instantly popular as soon as he stepped a foot inside Seattle Grace Academy. He came from a prestigious family of surgeons, so his name immediately drew attention from people. It also helped that he was a handsome young man. Gorgeous bluish-green eyes, an athletic body, a smile that made his female classmates blush. He was deemed the perfect package in their minds. Of course, he shattered a lot of hearts when he started dating April, which some people still couldn't understand. They were somewhat opposites of each other.
April lacked the confidence Jackson displayed around school. Not a member of the popular crowd or any of the sports teams, she only became a face that stood out in the crowd because of her boyfriend. But she was intelligent having already gotten accepted into the likes of Harvard and Stanford. Although she was book smart, her social skills weren't the best. Her frequent awkwardness and her tendency to ramble when she was nervous made her a target for quick amusement.
But none of that mattered to Jackson. He didn't see her the way the other students did. He didn't care that her fashion sense was a year behind the latest trends or she was the president of the Science Club. She had a singing voice that only he had the privilege of hearing when they were alone. They made each other laugh and felt comfortable being themselves when they were together. Most importantly, he appreciated the fact that April treated him like a normal person and not walking eye candy for women to lust after.
It took great effort to convince April to agree to go out on a date with him, though. Despite developing a friendship through French class, she had been fully aware of his popularity status resulting in her growing skeptical of his intentions. The redhead found it hard to believe that Mr. Popular wanted to date her. She made him work for it – for four months. And even then, he still wanted to date her. He could have moved on to another girl interested him, but he waited for her. He also refused to take no for an answer.
Jackson had a couple of girlfriends in the past, but April was the first committed relationship he had. She was also the only one he had fallen in love with.
"Dude, you're freaking staring at her again, huh?" Alex Karev teased, gently nudging his friend's side with his elbow. He was Jackson's closest friend. They were football and lacrosse teammates, but Alex was a star on the wrestling mat. Their personalities were nothing alike and they mainly bonded through sports. "Is it 'cause tomorrow night's finally the night?"
"What?" the pretty boy replied, furrowing his brow at him. "Night for what?"
"Avery, how much longer are you and Kepner gonna date without having sex? You're still a virgin! How can you live like that?" he bluntly asked. "You know how many chicks are ready to put out for you?"
Jackson rolled his eyes and sighed. Most people would assume a guy who looked like him was sexually active, but truthfully, he and April hadn't had sex yet. "I don't care about them," he casually answered, his eyes glued to the back of his girlfriend's head. "We're waiting for the right moment and I'm not going to pressure her either."
"When's the right moment? Prom night?" Alex chuckled. "That's so cliché, man. Your anniversary's tomorrow. Are you afraid she's gonna laugh at your junk or something? Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but I've seen you in the locker room and trust me, she might faint."
Smacking his friend's shoulder with the back of his hand, Jackson scowled back at him. "Can we drop it? April and I already have plans set for tomorrow night and it doesn't include sex. Not everything is about sex. I mean, I do want to go through with it someday, but it's none of your business when it happens," he sternly said. He glanced down at his shoes and mumbled, "I haven't even seen her naked yet."
Alex quickly shrugged. "Not surprising. All you two do is makeout, right? The hands don't go south?"
"April doesn't care where my hands are. We just don't have sex," he murmured. "Whatever. I'm happy with where we are in our relationship. Nobody's going to make me think otherwise."
Reaching into his back pocket for his wallet, Alex smirked after he pulled out a condom packet. "Here. Just in case," he offered with a wink. He forcefully placed it inside of Jackson's letterman jacket pocket, despite the latter's attempt to push his hand away. "Ever since my special visit with Nurse Addison sophomore year, she's been hooking me up for free. Never have to go to the drug store to buy them."
Jackson inhaled sharply, slowly shaking his head. "Does Jo even know that you lost your virginity to the school nurse?"
"No, and don't freakin' tell her," he noted, then he raised his finger and grinned. "But hey, my practice with Nurse Addison is why my first time with Jo didn't suck. I knew exactly what I was doing."
"You must be so proud," the pretty boy sarcastically responded. He leaned back against his seat with his arms folded. Although he was a guy who did think about sex, he didn't want to think about having sex with his girlfriend at that moment. He simply wanted to enjoy the weekend getaway with April the way they had planned it.
In the front of the bus, April lightly tapped her fingers against her knees as she thought about her first real experience away from home. Every vacation she had been on included her family. Now she was on her own. She was excited, yet nervous at the same time. Snowboarding wasn't necessarily in her list of interests. She hated to admit it, but she didn't have an athletic bone in her body. Jackson's presence was the main reason why she decided to join her class on the ski trip. Without him, she would likely be spending her weekend studying in her bedroom.
She glanced back at her boyfriend, shyly smiling when they made eye contact. Alex made smooching noises close to Jackson's face causing him to elbow his friend in the gut and making her laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Jo Wilson asked curiously, turning her body to look at their boyfriends.
"Alex acting like a tool and paying for it," April cheerfully replied and faced forward. She reached for her purse and opened it. "Did I show you what I bought Jackson for our anniversary yet?"
The brunette woman nodded in approval at the sight of tickets to a Portland Trailblazers game in April's hand. "Nice! And against the Celtics. You know Jackson will love that being a Boston boy and all."
"I can't wait to see his reaction, but… I'm not sure if I'll be able to go with him," she added, biting down on her bottom lip. "Portland is almost a three-hour drive and it's a night game. Umm… my parents probably won't let me go out that far with Jackson alone. Maybe- maybe he can go with Alex."
"Oh, April. You're almost eighteen. Your parents need to trust you more often," Jo scoffed. "They let you go on this ski trip after all. You could totally get super drunk and they wouldn't even suspect it. Even better, you could go home after this weekend and not be a virgin!"
"Josephine!" April shrieked, slightly sinking in her seat. "Jackson and I… we're not- I mean, we never talked about doing that this weekend."
"Okay, you gotta get into the mind of a guy. Yes, Jackson is a sweet guy and he's been a good boyfriend to you, but let's be real here. We're on a trip away from our parents. It's the perfect opportunity to, ya know, finally take that next step in your relationship without your mom or dad walking in and catching you two," Jo advised with a mischievous grin on her face. "And it's your anniversary. How much more perfect can the situation be? Pants are coming off for sure."
"Whose pants are coming off?" Lexie Grey inquired, turning around in her seat. She placed her arms on top of the seat and rested her chin on top of them. April's uncomfortable facial expression immediately gave it away. "Oh, you and Jackson? Finally?"
April groaned. "No, we're not."
Jo softly laughed. "She's in denial that sex is on the table for their anniversary tomorrow. April, is Jackson taking you to a restaurant for dinner?"
"Umm, I think so?" she timidly answered. "It's just dinner. We're exchanging gifts and that's about it."
"Oh, pants are definitely coming off," Lexie insisted, sharing a smile with Jo. She laughed at the redness in April's cheeks. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be really gentle with you. It's his first time too, right? Man, Avery's got some strong will power to wait this long."
A part of April suddenly felt ill. She always believed that she and Jackson were very open with each other regarding their relationship. They trusted each other with everything. Sex hadn't been mentioned once when they made plans for their anniversary. Now she wondered if his present to her was his penis. A dick in a box! Her eyes grew wide as the imagery appeared in her head.
It's not like she was clueless about the subject. She knew a lot of things about sex. Her boyfriend was practically the poster boy for sex. But the possibility of losing her virginity without actually planning it somewhat mortified her. Maybe it was best not to bring it up, she thought. Unless Jackson brought it up first, she was going to keep her mouth shut.
And she thought trying to snowboard would be the scariest part of the entire trip.
The buses parked in front of the main lobby after arriving at the resort. Eager students filed out one by one hoping to find their luggage first, so they could drop it off in their cabins and head towards the slopes as soon as possible. April searched for a small red suitcase with a yellow ribbon tied to the handle. She spotted it on the sidewalk, but before she could reach it an olive skinned hand grabbed it for her.
"For you, my lady," Jackson smoothly said, using his other hand to sling his black duffel bag over his shoulder. He set April's suitcase in front of her and smiled.
"Thank you. You're the sweetest," she gushed, her mitten covered hands gently stroking the white leather sleeves of her boyfriend's letterman jacket. He wore a light gray hoodie underneath his navy blue jacket. It was a certain look that she actually adored a lot. She really loved the old school look. "But you didn't have to."
He watched her hands run up and down his arms. A habit she always did when he wore that particular jacket, Jackson suddenly felt different about it. That talk with Alex was clearly messing with his head. The rubbing, her hazel eyes appearing hungry for love… he didn't want those thoughts rushing down to his pants. He definitely didn't want her noticing either. Just do anything to distract himself from thinking about his girlfriend in a sexual way.
Dropping his duffel bag, Jackson scooped up April into his arms and carried her towards a pile of snow. She shrieked loudly when he tossed her on top of it. "Jackson!" she yelped as he climbed on top of her. He grinned down at her like a naughty schoolboy who knew he was up to no good. "What'd you do that for?"
Jackson leaned in, the tip of his nose brushing against hers. "I'm just happy that we're here together."
"You have an odd way of showing it," she chuckled, pressing her hands against his cheeks. "What if you dropped me on top of a fire hydrant hidden underneath the snow? You could've broken my back!"
"Oh, don't get all serious on me. This is supposed to be fun," he teased, pecking her lips. "And your mittens are keeping my face warm."
As the couple engaged in a few more kisses, their P.E. teacher, Mark Sloan, passed by holding a clipboard in his hand. "Wait until you're in your cabin, kids," he nonchalantly stated causing the two teenagers to pull away in embarrassment. "It may be your weekend, but let's not set a bad example anyway, okay?"
April blushed instantly as their nearby classmates laughed and poked fun at them as they walked by. If Mark Sloan, who was known to be somewhat of a perverted member of the faculty, thought their PDA was inappropriate, then her embarrassment was at its highest. She knew they wouldn't have done anything like that at home. It actually was a bit strange to her. Jackson helped her stand up, politely brushing off the snow from her backside with his hand. They temporarily parted ways to find their cabins, which was fine with her. She didn't want things becoming too hot and heavy so fast. And she also didn't want to give him any ideas before their anniversary.
She entered her cabin with Jo following her from behind. The cabin had two twin sized beds, a TV and a bathroom for them to share. Each of them claimed their beds before Jo decided to interrogate her best friend. "So, what was that little scene in the snow all about?" she innocently asked.
"Umm… I'm not sure," April responded, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I just thanked Jackson for getting my suitcase and he randomly throws me down on the snow to makeout. It was… weird. I don't know what got into him."
Jo snickered as she kicked her shoes off and lay back onto her own bed. "I think I know. I don't know about you, but he looked like he was ready to rip your clothes off in front of everybody," she suggested. Her best friend glanced back at her worriedly. "Oh, dear. I think it's time we have an important talk."
"Important? How important? I- I already had the sex talk with my mother."
"But this isn't your mother's kind of sex talk," the brunette insisted, sitting up on her bed. "Your mom probably gave you the general advice regarding sex, mainly the 'wait until you're ready' and 'always remember to be safe' guidance. However, there are certain things you need to know when you and Jackson are actually ready to have sex. You know it's possible he wants it to happen tomorrow night, so you need to be prepared."
April chewed on her bottom lip. "Should I be taking notes?"
Jo simply smiled and shook her head. Her friend could be so naïve sometimes that it amused her. April was smart in her own way, but there were areas that she was highly inexperienced in. "No note taking. Just listen. Okay, you don't want to make it obvious to Jackson that sex is on the table. Don't throw yourself at him. Let him come to you." She sighed at April's blank stare. "It's gotta be casual. Pretend you have no idea that he wants sex, but you do want it too. Make him earn it a bit."
"How?" She looked down at her lap and frowned. "All of a sudden, sex seems like a daunting task. Like, why would anybody want to go through with it? I mean, people want to make babies, but all of that work-"
"April! Stay with me here. Focus," Jo ordered, pointing two fingers at her eyes. She waited for her bashful friend to make eye contact with her. "I'm assuming all you and Jackson have done is makeout, which is totally cool, but foreplay is going to be just as important here. I have no doubt in my mind that he'll blow you away with whatever he does. However, you really need to surprise him, ya know? Surprise him with your mouth."
Fanning herself with her hand, April unzipped her jacket and hastily removed it. "Is- is the A.C. on? I swear, it's becoming really hot in here." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Jo, I know you're trying to help me, but I feel humiliated more than anything else. I know the different aspects of sex, okay? But you're freaking me out!"
"Just remember to relax. If you want, you can borrow my sexy panties to help get him in the mood. I promise they're clean and I haven't used them yet," Jo assured her.
"What are you trying to say about my panties?" She furrowed her brow and scrunched her nose as she pulled at her jeans to take a peek at her underwear. "I don't wear granny panties if that's what you're implying. And I do own black panties!"
"I'm sure they're lovely, April. I'm just saying, when Jackson slides those pants away from your legs he might be pleasantly surprised to see you wearing something sexy underneath."
April rolled her eyes while she adjusted her shirt. "No on the sexy panties, okay? I'm pretty sure he'll care more about the actual sex." She gasped loudly, covering her mouth with her hands. "What if I'm awful at it? I mean, he- he could be really good and I could be terrible!"
Jo dismissively waved her hand and smiled. "Oh, don't worry about it. If Jackson thinks it was good, then it won't matter if it actually sucked," she noted, drawing a distressed look from her best friend. "Seriously, the worst part will probably be when it hurts a bit, but you'll get over it pretty fast."
The redhead snatched one of her pillows and buried her face into it. "Sex is so complicated," she groaned hoarsely, falling back onto her bed and leaving the pillow on top of her face. It wasn't until that weekend did sex become her worst enemy.
After roaming around the resort alone, Jackson decided to pay his girlfriend a visit before she went to bed. He was fully aware that she was more of a morning person, which meant she would be going to bed earlier than he would. And he had seen Jo easily beating a disgruntled Alex at billiards in one of the activity lodges, so he knew April would be alone in her cabin. The only other time they saw each other that day was during dinner, but she had chosen to sit with her other female friends, while his football teammates coaxed him into joining their table.
He knocked on the door before slowly opening it and peeking his head inside. "April? You asleep?"
Sitting up on her bed and reading a book, April glanced up from her current page as Jackson entered the cabin. Her eyes grew wide, and she immediately closed her book and covered herself with a blanket. She had already changed into her pajamas – a pink long sleeve shirt and light gray pajama pants with white bunnies on them – and the sight of him caused her to panic. Her boyfriend had never seen her in her sleeping attire and her current outfit made her feel childish.
"I'm not sure why you're hiding. I know you're not naked under there," Jackson lightheartedly said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
"I wasn't expecting you, that's all. I thought you would've texted me about coming over," she sheepishly replied. April clutched the blanket tightly against her body. She desperately didn't want him to see her bunny pajama pants. "Not that I don't want you here. It's just I'm ready for bed and I look umm, not very made up?"
He smirked as he scooted towards her. "You look fine, babe. What's the point of hiding? I'm bound to see what's underneath there eventually," the pretty boy teased and tugged on the blanket. She knew she would likely lose the silly tug of war game, but she refused to give in easily. "Do I have to tickle you?"
"Jackson, no!" April let out a high-pitched shriek when Jackson's fingers attacked her sides. She tried to wiggle away from him, which gave him the opportunity to yank the blanket away from her body. As much as she attempted to cover herself with her arms, his eyes darted towards the happy, little bunnies on her pajama pants. She pursed her lips as she felt the warmth rush to her cheeks. "Don't laugh."
Jackson half-smiled and tapped one of the bunnies with his fingertip. "I like it. It's cute. It's you," he complimented, his hand gently squeezing her thigh. April nervously laughed in response, then he leaned in and kissed her lips. "Don't be embarrassed. I have sweatpants with footballs on them at home."
"But I bet they don't look as stupid as these bunnies," she muttered.
"April, it's just me. I'm not laughing at you." He picked up her hands and interlocked their fingers. "So I walked around the resort to check out the restaurants. There's this Italian one that I thought you'd like, so I made us a reservation for tomorrow night. I'll pick you up here at 6:30, okay?"
April smiled and nodded. "I can't believe it's going to be two years tomorrow. I thought you'd get bored of me after the first month," she admitted, biting on her bottom lip. "I know you hate it when I say this, but sometimes I still wonder why you picked me."
Jackson playfully rolled his eyes. He was convinced his girlfriend told him the same thing every month. It was just her insecurities talking. Tonight, it was the white bunnies on her pajama pants making her feel this way. "You know why I picked you. I don't have to explain myself again because you do know," he answered with a chuckle. "Anyway, I hope you like your anniversary present. It'd be pretty damn embarrassing if you think it sucks."
What "it" is he referring to? She forced herself to smile hoping he wasn't talking about the dirty thoughts running through her mind at that moment. "I'm sure it won't. You're always great with presents. I'm the one who should be paranoid about my gift sucking."
"That's not possible. You bought me Madden 15 for my birthday!" he reminded her gleefully, lightly grasping her waist. "You're… you're perfect to me."
Before April could argue with his latest compliment, Jackson pressed his lips against hers to keep her silent. Fortunately for him, she didn't resist and returned the kiss. He carefully lowered her onto her back and positioned himself on top of her. All he wanted was alone time with his girlfriend and he finally got some. She softly gasped for air when he moved down to her neck. It wasn't out of the ordinary for him to gnaw on her neck. In fact, he was quite fascinated by it. The amount of hickeys he had left on her pale skin forced her to buy a lot of makeup solely for covering them up, so her parents wouldn't see them.
But after the sex talk with Jo, April felt reluctant to allow Jackson to travel away from her mouth. She assumed everything he was doing would lead to sex before she was ready. Grasping her boyfriend's cheeks, she pulled him up back to her face and hungrily kissed him. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when she practically shoved her tongue into his mouth, but he wasn't going to complain.
Jackson slipped one of his hands inside her shirt. His fingertips grazed her side causing her to squirm beneath him. He smiled against her lips knowing she was very ticklish and sensitive to his touch. His hand traveled farther up her body and fully expected to find the edge of her bra, but found a handful of bare breast instead.
"Jackson!" April squealed, rolling away from underneath him and falling flat on her butt on the floor. She forgot she had removed her bra prior to his arrival and instantly turned red in the face.
"I- I didn't know that you- that your-" The pretty boy looked at his open right hand like he had touched something sacred. He tried his hardest not to happily grin at the fact that he grabbed her boob because she was visibly embarrassed.
She folded her arms in front of her chest and softly smiled. "It's getting late. I'm actually really tired, Jackson."
Jackson adjusted his jacket, clearing his throat as he walked towards the door. "That's fine. I'll uhh, I'll see you tomorrow. We've got a long, good day ahead of us," he sweetly replied. "I'm really glad you're going to try snowboarding with me."
"Don't hate me if it takes three hours to get down the mountain," she responded with a grimace.
"You'll be fine. I'll make sure you don't fly off the edge to your death," he humorously said.
April stood by the doorway after Jackson stepped outside. "Goodnight," she murmured, giving him a quick peck on the lips before she let him go. She leaned back against the door after she closed it and sighed as she glanced up at the ceiling. "I hate sex."
"Okay, explain this to me again. Last night, you grabbed Kepner's boob and she kicked you out?" Alex amusingly questioned as he and Jackson carried their snowboards outside after renting them from a kiosk. He chuckled to himself and smirked. "Dude, your girlfriend's a prude."
"She is not," the pretty boy retorted, shooting a glare at his friend. While it was nice that he temporarily left first base for once, he hated leaving April uncomfortable about the incident. Breakfast had been slightly awkward when she opted to sit at another table, while he was stuck with his jock friends. Not the sweetest way to kick off their anniversary. "First of all, I had no idea she wasn't wearing a bra. And second, it was an accident."
"So how much boob did you grab?"
Jackson rolled his eyes. "I don't know. It happened too fast." He paused when he spotted April standing nearby with Jo and Lexie. She was sporting a white and baby blue beanie that he had given to her – randomly in the summer – just because he wanted to. It looked very good on her, he thought. "I need to talk to her."
"Hey, Jackson!" a woman's voice called out to him. He turned his head to see Stephanie Edwards waving at him from a few feet away. She was one of many girls in their senior class who had her eyes on him, but he simply ignored their advances. "Could you help me with my skis, please? I have no idea how to put these on."
"Uhh, sure. It's fairly easy, actually," he insisted, setting his snowboard down to help his classmate. Jackson knelt down on the snow and grabbed a hold of one of Stephanie's ski boots. "You just put your foot in this little slot and you'll hear a click when the front and back of your boot attaches to the ski."
Watching their interaction from where she stood was April. Even though she knew there was no reason to feel jealous, she completely loathed seeing other women attempt to flirt with her boyfriend. Sometimes he didn't even realize they were flirting as he casually spoke to them. "Why is he helping her?" she muttered, folding her arms in disgust. "Stephanie isn't an airhead. She knows how to put on her skis."
"She has yet to get the hint that Jackson has zero interest in her or anybody else," Jo scoffed. "I mean, look at him. He's trying to help her as quickly as possible, so he doesn't have to talk to her that much. Sometimes he's too nice, April."
"Yeah, but that's one of the many reasons why I adore him," the redhead sheepishly replied.
"Is grabbing your boob also on the list of qualities you love about Jackson?" Lexie teased, sharing a laugh with Jo. She playfully nudged April with her elbow. "I'm telling ya, your makeout session last night was a sneak preview for tonight. He may be a gentleman about it, but he's horny."
April scrunched her nose and pouted. Why was sex such a big deal to everyone? "Maybe I should break up with Jackson. Then we won't have to have sex tonight," she suggested.
"Seriously, April? Is that how you're going to get out of sex when you and Jackson are on your honeymoon?" Jo quipped.
"Who said anything about honeymoons? We're not even engaged!" she panicked. "We- we might be on different paths after high school and… I could end up marrying someone else…"
Jo exchanged an amused glance with Lexie. Their friend was rambling and she hardly made any sense when she did. April had become too flustered to notice that Jackson was approaching the trio. "Uhh, shh. Your boyfriend's coming over," she noted, lightly nudging April's back with her elbow.
Jackson softly smiled at his girlfriend as she nervously grinned back at him. "Hey," he greeted her with a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, while Jo and Lexie snickered and pretended to ignore them. "I missed you during breakfast. Happy Anniversary, babe."
"I… I just thought you should spend time with your guy friends since we'll be together tonight," April replied, placing her mitten covered hands against his chest. "So, I thought I'd go snowboarding with Jo and Lexie. I know I agreed to go with you, but I really don't want to hold you back."
"Are you sure?" He slightly furrowed his brow. Something still felt off with her, but he couldn't quite figure it out. "Is everything alright? If this is about last night-"
"I'm fine, Jackson," she insisted, forcing a smile. "You're forgiven for what happened last night."
Jackson sighed, then he pressed his forehead against hers. "Okay then. Tonight is going to be great. You won't believe what I have in store for you," he excitedly said before pulling away from her.
April shyly smiled back at him. "I can't wait." She watched her boyfriend walk away and suddenly all she could think about was his freaking penis. Perhaps her friends were right all along. He was ready for the next major step in their relationship, but he would rather surprise her than talk about it openly. "He wants to have sex."
"Did he say that?" Lexie asked curiously after she and Jo rejoined their friend.
"No, but I can tell he does. I don't know how to explain it, but I just know."
As if she needed to experience more grief, Stephanie and her friend, Leah Murphy, walked towards the trio. "Good luck, April," she playfully greeted the redhead.
"Good luck?"
"You know, for tonight. You don't want to be that girl, right? The one who's so terrible in bed that you get dumped for it?" she implied, causing April to frown.
Jo stepped in and scowled at Stephanie. "Hey, back off. Jackson will never look at you the way you want him to no matter what you do," she fired back. "You've been lusting after him since freshman year and he still doesn't care. Take a hint already."
"That's a really nice jacket, Jo," Leah chimed in as she eyed the brunette's red winter jacket. "Are you still mooching off of April's parents' or did you buy that from the local Goodwill using the coins you've been collecting from payphones?"
Jo took another step, prepared to swing her fist into Leah's jaw. It wasn't until the end of their junior year did most of the student body discover that she was a foster child and living with the Kepners since seventh grade. Their classmates constantly wondered why she and April hung out at school and were best friends. Jo was gritty and not afraid to speak her mind, while April had a more conservative approach and wasn't the most confrontational person. Once the secret was out, their friendship made more sense, but it didn't stop people from judging the brunette and whispering gossip behind her back.
She always went out of her way to protect April, even if it meant spending the afternoon in detention. Both April and Lexie restrained their friend before she could take a swing.
"Jo, it's not worth it. Just because we're not at school it doesn't mean you're off the hook. Remember what happened the last time you punched someone?" April stated, causing Jo to relax a little. "You'll get expelled this time."
Lexie dismissively waved off Stephanie and Leah. "Can you just go away and torment someone else? Hell, there are some steep cliffs up over there. Go ski off of one," she sneered. After the two women left them alone, she picked up her snowboard and pointed towards a lift. "Let's go, guys. Don't even take what Steph said seriously, April. She's just jealous because you're dating Jackson and she's not."
"But umm, do you think Jackson would consider breaking up with me if I was that bad?" April worriedly questioned.
"No!" Both Jo and Lexie answered in unison.
"The guy worships you. When are you going to finally accept that?" Jo added irritably, partially still annoyed by their encounter with Stephanie and Leah. "C'mon, I need to blow off some steam. Stop freaking out so much and just go with the flow. Your whole night will be a disaster if you continue to worry about every little detail."
Her best friend was right. All of the overanalyzing April had been doing was beginning to stress her out, but that was who she was, the type of person who saw eight sides to everything. Sometimes it was annoying to people, though Jackson never seemed to mind that part of her. She took a deep breath and told herself to forget about him for an hour.
She could freak out again later.
Midway through one of the most difficult hills, Jackson decided to a take a break and sit down close to the edge that overlooked the scenery and the resort. Snowboarding was fun, but his mind was elsewhere. Normally, he could read what April was thinking, but not this time. It was bothering him a lot because he wanted to know why she was acting differently. Their anniversary was supposed to be something to look forward to and she appeared less enthusiastic about it.
"Dude, you know we're not at the bottom yet, right?" Alex teased, sitting down beside his best friend, who appeared lost in his own world. "Are you being all deep and thinking about life or whatever?"
"April's been acting weird since yesterday and I don't know why," Jackson blurted out, furrowing his eyebrows.
"When isn't she weird?" he scoffed. "She looks forward to extra credit homework, Avery."
The pretty boy punched his friend's shoulder and pursed his lips. "Being different doesn't make her weird. And I'm not talking about her personality. For whatever reason, it's like she doesn't want to be around me. I know she's not being honest with me."
"She's uptight and you're not doing anything to loosen her up," Alex bluntly stated. "Maybe she does want you to, if you know what I mean."
Jackson dropped his head and groaned. Sex, sex, sex. Everything had to be about sex! "Will you stop with that crap?"
"If you ask me, you're uptight too. Both of you need to get laid already. How much slower is your relationship gonna get? Even sloths get it on faster than you two," he quipped.
"Can we stop talking about my sex life?" he angrily replied.
"You mean lack thereof," Alex corrected him. He chuckled when Jackson pushed himself up and fled on his snowboard. "C'mon, dude! I was just messing with ya! Don't get all butt hurt sensitive on me!"
Speeding down the rest of the hill on his snowboard, Jackson was determined to find April and seek an explanation from her. So far, their anniversary wasn't anything he imagined it to be. He couldn't care less if his male friends made fun of him for spending the entire weekend by his girlfriend's side. This was the most time they could be together without their parents interrupting them or being forced to leave each other's side because of curfews. However, they hadn't even spent an hour together since they arrived at the resort.
On the plus side, he could rule out pregnancy as a reason for her strange behavior.
When he reached the bottom Jackson lost interest in snowboarding and decided to find April. He sent her a text message and she responded by telling him that she was hanging out in the main lobby with Jo and Lexie. After turning in his snowboard and getting his shoes, he walked across the resort to meet with his girlfriend. On his way inside, he accidentally bumped into Mark, who was leaving.
"Oh, sorry," the pretty boy quickly apologized.
"Avery," Mark greeted him, smiling mischievously at the teenager. "Heard you've got a big night planned."
Jackson cleared his throat. "Uhh, I'm not sure what you mean."
The older man slapped a condom packet into Jackson's palm and winked. "Don't act naïve with me. You know what I'm talking about. Go get 'em, tiger." He patted him on the shoulder. "She's a nice one too."
"Sir, this is sexual harassment."
"I'd like to think of it as sexual encouragement," Mark casually replied. "A word of advice. Don't open that thing with your teeth. You'll probably regret it later."
Jackson rolled his eyes as his P.E. teacher walked away from him. He stuffed the condom packet into his jacket pocket feeling more annoyed than ever. It was bad enough when Alex offered unsolicited sex advice, but his sleazy teacher made him feel worse – and disgusted. He tried to shrug it off as he entered the lobby. April and her girlfriends were sitting on a couch in the middle of the room and he quickly approached them.
"How's my little snow bunny?" he cheerfully greeted the redhead, sitting down beside her and kissing her cheek. "I missed your face. Tonight is going to be so fun. You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to seeing your-"
"Stop it, Jackson! Just stop it!" April yelled, startling Jackson and her friends. She jumped up onto her feet and pointed her finger at her boyfriend. "I am not a piece of meat you can gnaw on just because we're away from our parents and- and we're under the watch of teachers who don't really want to be here. Anniversaries are supposed to be sweet and I am not ready for this! I don't want a dick in a box, so just stop it!"
Jackson watched April storm out of the lobby with a stunned expression on his face. Both Jo and Lexie appeared confused as well, though they could barely contain their amusement. "What the hell just happened?" He sat up just as his girlfriend went outside. "Are… are we still on for dinner?"
Jackson stood in front of April's cabin carrying two items in his hands – a long, thin box containing a necklace he bought for their anniversary in one hand and a bouquet of roses from the gift shop in the other. The roses weren't in his original plans, but after his girlfriend's random blow up at him, he hoped they would help ease any tension that could be left between them. He wore a striped, long sleeve collared shirt underneath his letterman jacket, blue jeans and his favorite pair of Nike basketball shoes. The pretty boy knocked on the door before slowly opening it.
"Hello?" he murmured, peeking his head inside. The bedroom was empty, but the bathroom door was closed. Stepping into the cabin, he closed it behind him and approached the bathroom. "April, are you ready?"
"In a minute!" she called out from the opposite side of the door. "Can you- umm, can you face the other way, please?"
He smirked as he slowly spun around on his heel. "Okay…" While he waited for her to emerge from the bathroom, Jackson slipped the jewelry box inside of his jacket pocket. He casually bounced back and forth wondering what April was wearing. "Before you even say you don't think you look good, I bet you're incredibly beautiful. You always are in my opinion. Also, I'm hoping we can move past whatever that fight was earlier. I'm not even sure I can call it a fight, but let's enjoy tonight, okay?"
The bathroom door opened and April stepped out. "You can turn around now."
Jackson smiled gleefully and quickly turned around. However, he wasn't expecting to see April standing in front of him completely nude. He dropped the bouquet and his eyes averted his naked girlfriend as much as possible. "Oh, uhh…" Scratching the back of his head, he tried to look back at his girlfriend and immediately ducked his head sheepishly. "You're- you're going to dinner like that?"
"I- I thought this is what you wanted," April reluctantly said, chewing on her bottom lip. "You wanted this, right? To have sex tonight? Because I… I'm ready for you. It's our anniversary and I figured you wanted to celebrate it this way."
"What? No," he answered, shaking his head. "I don't want to have sex with you-"
"Oh my God!" she shrieked, running into the bathroom and shutting the door.
"Wait! April, I didn't mean I don't want to have sex with you ever. I just never planned on it happening tonight," Jackson explained with a grimace on his face. He attempted to open the door, but it was locked. "Ah, geez. April, can you please open the door? We have to talk about this."
A minute later, the embarrassed redhead slowly opened the bathroom door and walked out wearing a bathrobe. She rested her head against the doorway, closing her eyes as she sighed. "I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have listened to the others."
"You're not stupid. Just misinformed," he lightheartedly replied to try to relieve the awkwardness in the cabin, but April looked like she was on the verge of crying. "Listen, Alex had been badgering me since yesterday about sex, but that was never what I wanted this weekend. If we were going to have sex, we would've talked about it first. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable about anything."
April folded her arms, tightening them against her chest. "You couldn't even look at me naked," she glumly answered.
Jackson waved his arms in front of him. "Not because I don't find you hot! I mean, I find you sexy as hell. I didn't want to come off as some pig by staring at you like you're a Playboy centerfold. I respect your body and I just wasn't sure if I should be staring because I didn't know what was happening at that moment," he admitted. He cupped her cheek and tilted her head up, so they could make eye contact. "I love everything about you. And I'll never pressure you to have sex with me, especially if we're not on the same page about this."
She sadly smiled back at him. "I suppose I was worried you'd break up with me eventually if we never did."
"No way," he insisted, his hand sliding down along her neck and resting on her shoulder. "I waited four torturous months for you to go out on a date with me. Look at where we are now. We're great. We're happy. I wouldn't trade everything we've been through for anything."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Jackson kissed April's forehead and smugly grinned. "Plus, based on what I can remember from the free show you just gave me, I'm very glad you're not somebody else's girlfriend. I would be pretty damn jealous of that guy."
She giggled as she playfully slapped his chest. "I guess I'll put on some clothes before we lose our reservation. Can you wait for me outside, please?"
He nodded, taking a step back to pick up the bouquet of roses he dropped. "Oh, and these are for you."
Accepting the bouquet from him, April briefly smelled the roses and smiled again. "Thank you. They're lovely." She gestured towards the front door. "Give me five minutes. I'll be out soon."
Jackson tenderly kissed her lips and stroked her cheek with his thumb before stepping outside. He slipped his hands inside of his jacket pockets after sitting down on the steps of the cabin. This gave him the opportunity to smile obnoxiously while he remembered the brief glances of his girlfriend's naked body. Despite the lack of sex in their relationship, he could happily picture April's body without having to imagine what it looked like anymore.
Somehow, her misunderstanding only made him love her even more.
Dinner had gone well for the couple. They arrived a minute before their reservation time and settled at a table in the corner of the restaurant. Jackson admired the emerald green blouse April wore and he especially loved her black skinny jeans, which were his favorite on her. She had squealed with joy at the heart-shaped necklace that had her birthstone – a tiny diamond – embedded in the middle of it. He acted like a little boy on Christmas when she unveiled the basketball tickets to him.
Any awkwardness between them had instantly vanished during dinner. They laughed at each other's stupid jokes and reminisced about memorable moments throughout their dating history. Jackson happily stared at April from across their table with a sparkle in his bluish-green eyes. It was like they were on a first date and he was falling in love with her all over again. And every time she smiled or laughed, the single dimple on her face drew his attention. He was looking forward to many more anniversaries with her.
On the way back to April's cabin, they took a longer trail back. A stroll through the snowy resort seemed romantic to the pretty boy with old fashioned lamp posts illuminating the walkways outside. Truthfully, he wasn't ready for their date to end. He genuinely enjoyed spending every second with her.
As they approached her cabin hand in hand, Jackson touched the tip of April's nose with his fingertip. It had turned a rosy shade of red due to the cold. "You look like Rudolph."
"But I'm a much more attractive reindeer, right?" she teasingly asked as she swatted his hand away. They stopped in front of her cabin and she snaked her arms over his shoulders. "Thank you for dinner and the necklace. Our anniversary turned out way better than I imagined it would."
He smiled at his gift hanging around her neck. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," she whispered before hopping up onto her tiptoes to kiss her boyfriend's lips. The kiss started off slowly, then she grasped the back of his head and deepened the kiss.
"April," Jackson mumbled against her lips. He clutched her waist, struggling to pull away from her. The way April was kissing him felt different, like she wanted more. "Babe-"
"Jo won't be back for another couple of hours," she breathlessly said, her lips gently grazing against his. "She promised she would be back at exactly 11 PM for curfew."
He slightly moved his head back, so their noses were touching. Cupping her jawline with his right hand, a smile formed off the corner of Jackson's mouth. He didn't have to ask her what she was thinking because he knew exactly what she wanted. All of a sudden, he wanted it too. "Are you sure?"
April pulled out her key from her jacket pocket, then she tugged on the bottom of his letterman jacket. "Let's go inside, Jackson." She turned away from him to open the door, but that didn't stop him from wrapping his arms around her waist and placing kisses on her neck from behind. After she opened it, she spun around and reclaimed his lips.
He kicked the door closed while he simultaneously removed his jacket, letting it drop onto the floor. "You're really sure about this?"
"Uh huh," she sighed as he pushed her jacket off of her shoulders.
Jackson raised his arms over his head when April pushed up his shirt and rushed to get rid of it. Her eyes zoned in on his perfectly toned pecs and abdomen. Although she had caught him half-naked in the past during basketball practice, his body continued to make her blush. He was just so athletically built and gorgeous. Next, his hands slid underneath her blouse and began lifting it up. She allowed him to return the favor and remove it for her, then she pulled his head back towards her for another kiss.
By the time they had stripped down to their underwear, he persisted in asking the same question. "Are you sure?" He simply wanted to ensure that she wasn't going to abruptly stop them and feel regretful.
"If you weren't so darn polite, I would've smacked you by now," April amusingly replied and laughed. Her hands ran down to Jackson's chiseled abdomen and back up to his pecs. She lay back onto her bed, pulling him on top of her. "Do you have something? 'Cause I think Jo might have a stash in her suitcase."
"Uhh, I do, actually. Hold on a second." Jackson climbed off of the bed and picked up his letterman jacket. He reached into one of the pockets and took out two condom packets before rejoining April on the bed. "Karev gave me one during the bus ride to get here and Sloan handed me another earlier today, which honestly, was really creepy."
She raised her eyebrow at the two different brands. "Which one do you think is more reliable?"
They stared at the condom packets in Jackson's hands quietly for a few seconds before they decided together, "Sloan's." He tossed Alex's over his shoulder, then he leaned down and hungrily kissed his girlfriend once more.
Despite everything that April feared about sex, Jackson made her feel comfortable even during the uncomfortable parts. He had been so thoughtful and caring, always asking her if she was okay until he fully believed she was. And in return, she surprised him with abilities that he didn't know she had. By the time they finished, he couldn't wipe off the cheesy grin on his face.
Jackson lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling while he heavily panted. "That was..." He pulled the covers up to their waists, while April curled up against his chest. His fingertips gently ran up and down her side causing her squirm a little. "You were amazing. I mean, really amazing. I never doubted you, but actually experiencing it? Wow. That thing you did when you were on top-"
April placed a finger against his lips to silence him. "Jackson, shh. This is quiet time," she softly said with a smirk on her face. She tickled his neck with the tip of her nose. "It was perfect. Thank you."
He moved his hand up to her auburn hair and threaded his fingers through it. "Is it possible to love you more than I already do? Because I really do."
"You can be super cheesy sometimes," she chuckled. April raised her head to check the clock on the bedside table. "We have about forty minutes before Jo is supposed to come back. You think you'll be able to wake up in about a half an hour?"
"I think I can manage," he assured her, kissing the top of her head. While his girlfriend adjusted her position beside him and closed her eyes, Jackson remained as cheerful as ever. He grinned brightly again as he recalled their entire first time together in his head.
Happy Anniversary indeed.
The next afternoon, the students began filing back onto the bus to bring them home to Seattle, marking the end of their weekend getaway. Rather than sit in the back with his friends, Jackson took a seat beside April close to the front, which slightly surprised her.
"You're not sitting with the guys?" she asked curiously.
"Nah, they won't miss me," he nonchalantly replied, comfortably resting his arm over April's shoulder. Jackson pressed his lips against her ear and smiled. "I can't stop thinking about last night."
She playfully nudged his side and whispered, "Shh, we promised nobody would know."
Alex snickered as he walked by the couple. "Jesus, Avery. Your girl gives you basketball tickets and you're so freaking whipped," he teasingly said. "Just marry her already."
"Maybe I will," Jackson answered, drawing a wide-eyed glance from April. He quickly shrugged and grinned. "Seven to ten years from now, obviously."
"You can see us getting married in the future?" the redhead bashfully asked. In her eyes, he was already the perfect boyfriend. She had no doubt in her mind that he would be the perfect husband too.
He gently kissed her temple. "Of course I can."
"Alex is right. You're so whipped," Jo chimed in from the seat in front of them. She shared a laugh with Lexie, then she faced forward. "And you didn't even need to have sex for that to happen."
April exchanged smirks with Jackson. If only their friends knew what happened after their date. Then again, it was best that nobody did because neither of them were interested in sharing that bit of information about their relationship. And she was paranoid that her parents would find out somehow, which would lead to very uncomfortable conversations with them. They agreed it was nobody's business but theirs.
"Want to watch a movie when we get back?" he asked.
"Can we watch a rom-com?"
"Umm… there's this one movie I want to watch-"
"Full of violence and possibly an exploding head, right?" April shook her head and smiled. "No thank you."
Jackson held out his free hand in front of her. "Thumb wrestle?" he offered. "Whoever wins gets to pick the movie."
April grabbed a hold of his hand. "Alright, but every time you do this, you never win. And don't say it's because you let me win. You know you're just terrible at this," she confidently said. "But you know, if you let me win, you may get something after the movie."
"What is this something?" A grin slowly formed on his face after she whispered her idea into his ear. "Hmm… you know what? You win. Rom-com it is."
Let me know what you think please! :)